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OAR.

' Patented June 4-, 1895'.

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OAR. v No. 540,579. Patented June 4, 1895.

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No. 540,579 Patented June 4,1895

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ATENT MICHAEL F. DAVIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

OAR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 540,579, dated June 4,1895.

Application filed March 15, 1895. Serial No. 54l,927- (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL F. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oars; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sweep, showing my invention applied tothe inboard end, the sweep being on the pull. Fig. 2 is a like viewshowing an enlarged detail, the curved portion of the sweep having onits inboard end the double and movable handle. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview in detail of the inboard end of the sweep, from which the handleportion has been removed. .Fig. 4 is a perspective showing the structureby which the handles can be moved on the end of the sweep, the partsbeing slightly detached. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, on line a:or, Fig.2, of the handles and connections. Fig. 6 is a crosssection ofthe same on line yy of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section on line a z of Fig.5. Fig. 8 is a top plan showing the sweep on the feather near the end ofthe stroke, the horizontal movements of the handles indicated in dottedlines. Fig. 9 is aview showing a part of a boat and the oar in therowlock, the oar indicated in full lines on the feather and in dottedlines on the pull.

This invention belongs to the generalclass of oars and more particularlyto that species 'known to those skilled in this art as sweeps.

The general points of novelty which I have ajmedfo cover in thisinvention are to provide a sweep the inboard part of which is madeofmetal; and in attaching to the inboard or metal end of the loom handlesor a double handle such construction of the handle part that they willhave a motion up and jdown or horizontally independent of the out tiringor cramping the arm or arms of the oarsman or annoyance to his body; andsuch construction and combination of the operative parts of the sweep aswill enable the user to apply the force perpendicular to the handles andparallel to the line of progress.

While these are in general the main points of my invention, in carryingthese out or developing the structure that enables them to bepractically carried into effect,I accomplish many other points ofvaluable importance.

All these points of general and special improvement and the subsidiaryones now alluded to will be more fully and clearly eX- plained in thisspecification, as well as pointed .out in the claims.

In the oar or sweep as heretofore made having a straight or continuousloom there have been so many disadvantages as in Way of completion ofthe stroke or feathering that it has been found absolutely necessary foreconomy of force and for eifective use ofthe sweep to provide handlesthat will permit every desired movement. A longer stroke of the sweepcan be made without correspondingly increasing the stretch or positionof the arms and the blade travel is very much greater with the sameinboard reach than with any construction heretofore known or used. I Inthe old constructions one hand would alternately be in advance of theother, while by means of my movable handles both hands and arms moveuniformly, and by which also any desirable movement can be given to thehandle of the oar or sweep.

Having thus briefly outlined my invention,

I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, and referring to thesaid drawings, the numeral 1, designates the outboard portion of thesweep Aand which is secured at its inner end to the curved metal inboardportion 2, which for economy and lightness is made hollow. I

By the inboard portion of the oar I mean more particularly that partwhich comes inside the row lock and is secured near the inside of therow lock to the outboard portion; and by theoutboard portion the loom orthat part of the oar which'in use comes outside of the row look, but inthe present instance its inner end extends slightly within the row lockto enable the end of the inboard portion to be secured to it. It isobvious, however,that the foregoing is only a general description, forthe attachment of the two parts can be made at a point that in use comesoutside as well as at a point that in use comes within the row lock.

The loom as shown atitsinner end is curved and is formed with fourannular collars 3, 4, 5 and 6, forming cylindrical bearings 7, 7.

The numerals 8, 8, designate two metal plates or brackets each beingformed at the ends with a semi-circular extension 9, so formed that whenthe plates are connected together by the screw rods or bolts 10, theywill form sockets to receive the handles 12. These plates or brackets attheir centers are formed with circular apertures 13, for the purpose ofreducing weight and are provided on their outer sides with annularflanges 14, forming bosses with which engage annular flanges 15, onplates 16, so that when said flanges are inserted in the bosses theplates 16, can rotate thereon. These plates on their inner sides areformed with semi-circular recesses orhalf round boxes 17, 1'7, whichengage with the bearings 7,7, of the loom.

In Fig. 9, is shown the oar or sweep as appliedlto a boat or canoe. Inthis figure 20, indicates the cock pit section of a row boat with thissweep or oar 1. 2, as applied to use, the full lines showing same on thefeather and the dotted lines showing it on the pull.

The operation is as follows: The outboard portion is secured to theouter end of the inboard portion, and the hearings or boxes 17, engagedwith the bearings 7, of the inboard. These plates are then securedtogether by the screw bolts or rods 10, and the handles inserted in thesockets formed by the extensions 9, and secured in position by screws18. From the above construction it will be seen that the brackets orplates to which the handles are secured have a universal movement.

It will be readily understood by oarsmen and those familiar with the useof these devices froin the above description of the mechanical structureby which I carry out my invention, how the oar or sweep will work inpractice, and how thegeneral advantages, set out in the beginning of thespecification, can be accomplished in the most complete manner. It willalso be understood that by the facility with which the handle part ofthe device is adapted to any desired or necessary position when in usethatthe device will more eitectually perform its functions while at thesame time giving special advantages to the user not possible from theordinary handle. In practice it has been amply demonstrated that thereis a large saving of the force spent in operating the device not only inthe pull but in feathering, so that there is saved by the use of thisdevice a considerable portion of the strength or force developed inoperating the device and this salvage necessarily gives greater speed tothe boat.

While I have described how the handles can be swiveled or connected tothe inboard end of the oar or sweep so as to enable them to have thedesired motions, it must be understood that I do not wish to be confinedto the mere mechanical details of structure set forth, for the sameresults can be obtained by many changes in these mere mechanicaldetails.

It will of course be evident that in the more detail of the joinder ofthe metal part to the wooden part of the oar this end can beaccomplished in many other merely mechanical ways than that abovedescribed. I aim to cover inthis application the combination in an oarof the inboard metal part with an outboard wooden blade part in any wayit may be done, though I much prefer the way of uniting the two partstogether as above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Thecombination with an ear or sweep of the handles connected with theinboard portion thereof by a universal joint.

2. The combination with an oar or sweep, of the plates or bracketsconnected together and formed with semicircular extensions and thehandles connected with said extensions, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an oar or sweep and the annular collars on theinner ends of the inboard portion, of the plates or bearings havingsemi-circular extensions the handles secured to said extensions, and theboxes engaging with the bearings on the inboard portion, substantiallyas described.

4. A sweep or car made in two parts, the loom or outboard portion beingof wood, and the inboard portion being hollow and curved and made ofmetal, and said parts being firmly connected together at a point whichin use comes near the row lock, substantially as described.

5. A sweep or oar made in two parts, the loom or outboard portion beingof wood, and the inboard portion being hollow and made of metal and saidparts firmly connected together, and the handles pivotally connectedwith the curved end of the inboard portion, substantially as described.

6. A sweep or oar made of wood and metal in manner set forth and havingits nicfalinboard portion secured to and on the Wooden outboard portion,as described, and provided at its inboard end with a movable handle partadapted to have vertical or horizontal move ments with relation to theoar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL F. DAVIS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. DEANE, H. M. STERLING.

